Going to USA... advice needed pls!

Hi everyone,

After what will be 2 years and 2 months, my husband (U.K. citizen) and I (US citizen) are finally going to America 

I have a few questions please if anyone is able to help?

1) My husband will need to renew his ESTA visa as his is currently expired. Are ETSAs still approved within a matter of minutes via the online application, like they were pre-covid?

2) We are departing Inverness to Heathrow, and then a few hours connecting layover in Heathrow before departing for Orlando. What is the requirement for covid tests?

3) We will both be fully vaccinated (as of this upcoming weekend ). Do we need a letter from our GP or NHS Scotland as evidence of this?

4) Do we need any other paperwork before we fly? I’m worried we’re gonna be given a hard time because my husband is a UKC - do we need to provide our marriage certificate or anything like that?

5) Do people (the law enforcement type... lol) in America check to see if you’re self-isolating? Whilst we will be arriving in FL, we will be staying in SC for the duration of the trip. This seems like kind of a gray area tbh?

Thank you for any help!
Fingers crossed nothing changes and we can go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi everyone,

After what will be 2 years and 2 months, my husband (U.K. citizen) and I (US citizen) are finally going to America 

I have a few questions please if anyone is able to help?

2) We are departing Inverness to Heathrow, and then a few hours connecting layover in Heathrow before departing for Orlando. What is the requirement for covid tests?

How soon are you flying?  The rules for testing, documentation, etc. are constantly evolving.  I'll give answers based on current requirements, but they could change.  Flying internationally in today's environment means you have to pay close attention to travel rules in any country you travel from, to, or through.

US requires a negative COVID test within 3 days of departure.  If you are flying on a Friday, you can take the test on Tuesday or later.  It can be antigen or PCR.   The rules are outlined in detail here:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Several members on this site, including me, have had good experience with Qured's antigen test which you take at home during a video call.  It's one of the cheapest options.  Use discount code BATRAVEL15 or AATRAVEL15.  You can also use this test for your return to the UK - order it before you leave and take it with you to the US.  It saves you searching for a test in the US that provides a certificate that meets the UK requirement.

3) We will both be fully vaccinated (as of this upcoming weekend ). Do we need a letter from our GP or NHS Scotland as evidence of this?

As of now there's no requirement to show your vaccination status to enter the US.  This could change if Biden decides to end the ban on citizens from many countries - including the UK - from traveling to the US.  The NHS app in England will provide a vaccination certificate, although it has a 30 day expiration date so you need to make sure it doesn't expire before you return.  I'm not sure if Scotland NHS provides the same thing.  My husband, I think through the NHS app, asked for a certificate to be mailed from the NHS which doesn't have an expiration.  He received this a few days ago.

It seems like the growing trend is to require vaccination certification to enter various venues, so it would make sense to have this with you.

Quarantine requirement when returning to the UK depends on your vaccination status, so that's another reason to have the certificate with you.

4) Do we need any other paperwork before we fly? I’m worried we’re gonna be given a hard time because my husband is a UKC - do we need to provide our marriage certificate or anything like that?

You'll need the marriage certificate.   The airlines will check this carefully before you leave - I'm not sure if this will happen in Aberdeen or Heathrow.  When my husband (UK citizen) flew, he was sent to a separate line and it took 15-20 minutes to validate everything.

In the US, he had to go to secondary immigration processing which took an extra 40 minutes.  He needed to show our marriage certificate.  I was with him, so they asked to see my passport.   If traveling without me, he would have needed the ID page from my passport.

5) Do people (the law enforcement type... lol) in America check to see if you’re self-isolating? Whilst we will be arriving in FL, we will be staying in SC for the duration of the trip. This seems like kind of a gray area tbh?

I was in the US twice this year.  I think it's safe to say you nobody will follow up on anything.  Just have your marriage certificate and your test results.

When I recently returned to the UK, I needed to show my negative COVID test and my Passenger Locator Form when checking in at the US airport.  I also had my vaccination certificate and my proof of purchase for a Day 2 test, but I wasn't asked to show it. 

At Heathrow, the e-gates were open and I didn't need to show anything.  I think they've now linked the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) to passports so the process is much quicker.  If you're not familiar with the PLF, an internet search will help you find information.

You'll need to watch for any changes in US and UK requirements - things may change between now and when you leave, or during your stay in the US.    I suggest having all of your items (COVID test result, vaccination certificate, Day 2 test proof of purchase and PLF) printed.  It's much easier to hand over a piece of paper than it is to search for something on your phone.

I hope you have a wonderful trip! 

1. As far as I am aware they are but I know there's a few on here that have gone through this process recently. Maybe they'll pop on.
2. I flew Aberdeen to Heathrow to Charlotte - only test I needed was a rapid antigen test to enter the US. No testing is required if you are travelling domestically.
3. I printed out my vaccination status. US didn't care and UK never asked for it when I returned. BUT you do need the dates of your vaccinations and which one you received for your Passenger Locator Form when you return to the UK.
4. Take the marriage certificate. I printed out my forms needed but ended up not having to use them other than my covid test results. Better safe than sorry. Here's a helpful link to check requirements. https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions?affiliateid=americanairlines
5. I didn't have to self isolate in the US. Double check the state's requirements on their website. Most have ended that requirement. I took rapid antigen tests with me (free from NHS) and tested every day.

Have a wonderful trip! Don't stress too much. There were a good number of people in the smaller flights but surprisingly my international flight both directions was fairly empty. Just take a good fitting but breathable mask 

Hi everyone,

After what will be 2 years and 2 months, my husband (U.K. citizen) and I (US citizen) are finally going to America 

I have a few questions please if anyone is able to help?

1) My husband will need to renew his ESTA visa as his is currently expired. Are ETSAs still approved within a matter of minutes via the online application, like they were pre-covid?

2) We are departing Inverness to Heathrow, and then a few hours connecting layover in Heathrow before departing for Orlando. What is the requirement for covid tests?

3) We will both be fully vaccinated (as of this upcoming weekend ). Do we need a letter from our GP or NHS Scotland as evidence of this?

4) Do we need any other paperwork before we fly? I’m worried we’re gonna be given a hard time because my husband is a UKC - do we need to provide our marriage certificate or anything like that?

5) Do people (the law enforcement type... lol) in America check to see if you’re self-isolating? Whilst we will be arriving in FL, we will be staying in SC for the duration of the trip. This seems like kind of a gray area tbh?

Thank you for any help!
Fingers crossed nothing changes and we can go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

1.  The ESTA needs to be applied for but WILL be in cancelled 24-72 hours before the flight. Don’t panic, they just have to check your husband is married to you (a USC).   Definitely have your marriage certificate with you. You will need it lots.

No one cares about Covid in the US, you won’t have to quarantine or do anything. It’s normal life there. Just be sure you have everything sorted for the return.

1) Yes. It will be approved within a day. However, it will be void on the day of travel (explained further down)

2) You can take a rapid antigen test for USA still. It must be taken within three days of travel to USA, not your flight to Heathrow and you must have a certificate. Full testing requirements at the bottom.

3) I am not sure regarding the requirement to show vaccination etc. When I went in June Pennsylvania had a mandate that if you were vaccinated you didn't need to wear a mask. I was never asked but I was just going to show my NHS app if ever asked. However, when in shops etc I chose to wear a mask anyway. At airports and on aircraft you must always have a mask worn, excluding eating and drinking.

4) Yes. You must bring your marriage certificate which is your husband's proof that he is exempt from the proclamation. If you do not bring this he will be denied entering the USA under any circumstances. You also need the attestation which is essentially a form to claim that your test result is true. You need one each. These can be filled out at check-in but TRUST ME, you do not want that added stress. So, you will need: - marriage certificate, - test results, - attestation. On top of your regular travel documents and forms.

5) Can't answer. Depends on your state's self-isolation rules. They're all different. All I'll say is 'must and shall' is different to 'recommend and advise'.


What to expect at Heathrow
Your husband will be checked by a US immigration officer that he is exempt from the proclamation by presenting his evidence (i.e. marriage certificate). He will then be cleared to proceed to check-in. This can take a long time. There is usually only one immigration officer who has three phones all calling him from boarding gates, different areas, USA border control etc. At check-in, you present your test certificates, attestation and passports. Your husband's ESTA will be cancelled at this stage. Check-in staff then call US border control and say your husband is exempt from the proclamation and they will then send a code to the check-in staff to manually override and reinstate the ESTA. You'll then be checked in and good to go. This process took me, my wife and daughter about 1 hour. Ensure you get there in plenty of time. Our gate was also probably in the furthest part of Heathrow also where you need to get on a train to get to. Getting there 2-3 hours before can quickly turn into 'oh god, we're gonna have to run' so don't be casual after checking in. Also, DO NOT do online check-in. Leave all info off the flight website. Your husband must be manually checked in due to the above. Checking in online will cause all types of problems.

Official CDC testing requirements
What types of SARS-CoV-2 test are acceptable under the Order?
Passengers must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Examples of available NAATs for SARS-CoV-2 include but are not restricted to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR), and helicase-dependent amplification (HDA). The test used must be authorized for use by the relevant national authority for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the country where the test is administered. A viral test conducted for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) personnel, including DOD contractors, dependents, and other U.S. government employees, and tested by a DOD laboratory located in a foreign country also meets the requirements of the Order.

3) I used the NHS app to download my vaccine status, but this could be different in Scotland. Nobody asked to see it, but you are supposed to have some sort of record of it for the purposes of proving you don't need to quarantine when coming back to the UK.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/after-your-vaccine/get-a-record-of-your-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-status

5) There is no federal mandate for quarantine in the US - just 'guidelines' from the CDC. The requirements by state or even city/county vary so it would be worth checking this for the areas you are travelling to. We travelled with an unvaccinated 16 year old and nobody even mentioned quarantine/testing/anything.

My husband is a UKC and apart from briefly showing someone our marriage certificate at BA check in, he was not questioned.

If you are flying BA/AA or one of their partner airlines I would recommend using the VeriFLY app. This means all your documents, attestations, passenger locator forms  (except for marriage cert) are checked via the app prior to travel and you just show your app to airline staff at check in.  Loads of passengers were filling in the attestations at the gate on our US bound flight so I wouldn't be too stressed about that.